In a vibrant celebration at ITC Maurya, New Delhi, the High Commission of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana in India marked its 59th Independence Day with an evening of diplomacy, reflection, and renewed commitment to international cooperation. The event was graced by the presence of Shri Periasamy Kumaran, Secretary (East) at the Ministry of External Affairs, alongside a distinguished gathering of diplomats, officials, business leaders, and members of the Guyanese diaspora.
H.E. Mr. Dharamkumar Seeraj, High Commissioner of Guyana to India, opened his address by welcoming the guests and expressing gratitude for their presence on this momentous occasion. “At the onset, I wish to thank you for joining us this evening as we celebrate the 59th Independence anniversary of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana,” he stated, acknowledging the dual significance of the occasion, which also marks 59 years of diplomatic relations between Guyana and India.
Reflecting on Guyana’s journey since gaining independence, H.E. Seeraj noted that the country has evolved significantly from the days of its early freedom struggle. “At 59, Guyana is confidently shaping our own path on the global stage, creating our own brand and brimming with opportunities for both personal advancement and national development,” he remarked. Despite the progress, he did not shy away from addressing persistent challenges, particularly the ongoing territorial controversy with Venezuela. “It is sad, however, that for all 59 years of our nationhood, Guyana has had to contend with varying degrees of aggression from the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela,” he stated, adding that the matter is now before the International Court of Justice as per the Geneva Agreement of 1966.
H.E. Seeraj emphasised that for small states like Guyana, adherence to international law remains a cornerstone of sovereignty and security. “International law and its strict application have become our armour and our shield in our determination to protect ourselves from this aggression,” he asserted.
Amidst these geopolitical realities, Guyana’s economic course tells a remarkable story of resilience and ambition. The High Commissioner proudly announced that “Guyana is the world’s fastest growing economy, recording an impressive overall growth rate of 36.3% in 2024,” with non-oil sectors contributing a significant 13.1%. Looking ahead, GDP growth in 2025 is projected to hover around 11%. While the oil and gas industry has propelled the country onto the global economic stage, H.E. Seeraj underscored the government’s strategic focus on diversification. “We are not hedging our future solely on oil and gas resources, but on building a resilient and diversified economy,” he said.
A cornerstone of this strategy is Guyana’s proactive role in addressing global challenges, particularly in the areas of food, energy, and climate security. Leveraging its vast arable land and abundant freshwater resources, Guyana is strengthening food security in the region, aiming to stabilise prices and reduce import dependency. On energy security, he highlighted Guyana’s dual approach: expanding petroleum production while aggressively pursuing renewable energy goals. “Although we are already a net-zero emitter, Guyana is using the revenues from our oil and gas resources to finance its transition to cleaner, renewable energy sources,” he affirmed.
The country’s forest cover, one of the highest on Earth, is central to its environmental leadership. “Our forest stores 19.5 gigatons of carbon and sequesters 153 million tons annually,” H.E. Seeraj explained. “Even with all our newfound natural resources, it would require less than 20% of our sequestered carbon to offset our emissions at maximum output.” In this spirit, Guyana will host the first Global Biodiversity Alliance Summit in July 2025, a major step in convening international stakeholders to champion biodiversity preservation.
The heart of the evening, however, lay in the celebration of Guyana-India relations, which H.E. Seeraj described as enjoying “a new impetus” in recent years. He recalled with pride the landmark visits of Prime Minister Mark Phillips to India in March 2025 and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s historic state visit to Guyana in November 2024. “These visits represented significant milestones in enhancing cooperation between our two nations across multiple sectors,” he said. Agreements signed during these visits span critical areas such as hydrocarbons, health, pharmaceuticals, broadcasting, culture, agriculture, and technology.
H.E. Seeraj also noted the hosting of the 2nd India-CARICOM Summit in Georgetown as a moment of deep symbolic and strategic importance. Highlighting traditional cooperation, he lauded India’s development partnerships through BIEC’s projects in infrastructure, health, defence, and renewable energy, as well as human capital development via the ITEC program. “A number of Guyanese assets were trained in India, and more Guyanese are benefiting from its array of programs,” he stated, further emphasising the importance of expanding cooperation in agriculture and health.
On the multilateral front, Guyana and India share common interests in climate action, international peace, and sustainable development. “We sincerely hope for an early end to the war between Russia and Ukraine,” H.E. Seeraj expressed. He also called for cooperation between Pakistan and India “in rooting out all acts of terrorism, especially after the recent terror attack in Pahalgam,” and reiterated Guyana’s strong support for “the United Nations call for a two-state solution in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to foremost stop the daily killing of many, especially innocent women and children.”
Guyana, he said, is proud to be part of India’s Global Biofuel Alliance and is working with the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) to improve climate-resilient infrastructure, including drainage and irrigation. Looking to the future, he shared an exciting development in connectivity: “Air connectivity between Guyana and India will be made easier from June 2025 when KLM will launch direct flights from Amsterdam to Georgetown… this is a key route for Indian nationals travelling to Guyana.”
The High Commissioner took a moment to reflect on historical solidarity between the two nations, recalling that as early as 1943, Guyanese leaders such as Cheddi Jagan sought support from India during their independence struggle. “They arrived here on the 20th of November to seek your support and to protect our Constitution and ensure that the democratic process,” he said, linking the past with the present bonds of friendship.
Leave a Reply